Wonderstruck
by Lynx Larabellows
Summary: Mark Reynolds has always hated it when a new Pilgrimage arrives. The streets are always crowded with gawking people full of too many questions, and he would just rather avoid interacting with any of them, content to just do his job… and then he saw her.
1. Bad Day

**Chapter One  
><strong>_Bad Day_

Marcus Reynolds was not having a good day. He was a young solider; fresh faced and eager to prove himself to his superiors. He was ready to defend his home and the denizens within it with everything he had in him. He just needed the chance to prove himself.

It had only been six months since he had enlisted. He had done it on the day he turned eighteen, and he knew for a fact that he had one of the best commendations out of everyone he had trained beside. He also knew that, logically, one did not simply bypass the chain of command and get a promotion so soon but that didn't stop him from being disappointed at where he was at.

Sentry duty in the power sector was not exactly the venturing outside of the gates and into the heart of danger type of occupation that he had been anticipating for years. It was a definite step up from his usual patrolling routes in the orchards and botanical fields—at least there were a distinct lack of giant centipedes—but it was still not where he wanted to be.

Today Mark had been in a right state. He was both angry and agitated that his request to be transferred to an outpost bunker in the jungle had been denied… for the third time. Admittedly he had acted perhaps a bit more immaturely at the disappointing news than he would like to admit, tearing the rejection letter to shreds and kicking over a dead potted plant on his front porch before he had stomped off to report for his patrol.

Mark had resigned himself to a long, boring shift of trudging back and forth throughout the towing windmills above. His only consolation was that at least he was not stuck behind a desk. To top off his bad day, a new pilgrimage would be arriving at some point today.

At least with this shift out in the power grid, he would be far away from the bustling crowds of noisy families so in awe of the city. He despised new pilgrimages. By noon the entire base would be absolutely crawling with new citizens, shoving their noses where they don't belong and stopping anyone on the street to answer inane questions.

Mark would defend Terra Nova with his life. It was his home and above that he had a duty as a member of the security force to defend it, but really, what was so great about it?

There was nothing exciting or interesting within the compound. The only real entertainment was the gym, the shooting range or the bar. He made use of the gym often enough, and he was an okay shot but the shooting range was not exactly his idea of fun. And Boylan's bar was a placed he despised to even look at let alone enter, despite everyone his age absolutely raved about it.

Teenagers here were too wild for his tastes, and he would like to think he was above the petty games he knew that certain individuals partook in. Sneaking outside the perimeter fence, though he longed to be rid of the constricting walls himself, was an incredibly stupid idea and reckless because of the carnivorous creatures that roamed the wide open lands.

Even some of the herbivores would attack if someone unwittingly snuck up on them, and if the dinosaurs didn't finish the idiot stupid enough to leave the facility, they still had to face Lieutenant Alicia Washington for their offence. And she was not a forgiving woman.

Mark almost wished he could slip back through the time fracture himself. Not that is was even a possibility because the portal only went one way, but if he could venture to the world he had left behind when he was so young, maybe he could see _why _everyone was always so impressed with the change of atmosphere when they arrive.

Perhaps he would not mind the newcomers so much if they all tried to show a little more respect. He hated it when they pretended they were better than he was just because they had some fancy collage degree in biology or a medical license whereas he only had a few certificates for his own accomplishments, such as completing his training and his weapons certification.

They were not better than him because a piece of paper told him so. He loathed being looked down upon for what he had chosen to do with his life. He was proud of his accomplishments. He had been chosen out of dozens of applicants, and even though his job was not exactly glamorous, he had still been handpicked. No one had the right to try and make him feel inferior for it.

If anything, the people of the city relied upon him and the others like him to keep them all safe. When a dinosaur made an unexpected appearance to lurk in front of the gate, while everyone scattered away whimpering in fear, he would stand his ground. He was ready to lay his own life down if need be; it was the same when those traitors would show up unannounced and cause a ruckus.

Mark had been contemplating all of this when he had first noticed something amiss in his sector. He paused briefly, not expecting anything to actually happen on his shift, though he extracted his weapon a moment later. He had passed through here an hour ago on his patrol, and when he had swept the area that solar panel had not been out of place, hanging low with the screws sitting on the ground.

Cautiously Mark approached, investigating it with his eyes. It was the side of a panel that had been removed, allowing a clear view of the interior. His mouth set in a grim line when he realized that it had been coupled with foreign wires that trailed around the side of the tower, connecting into several power cells that were being charged.

Someone was syphoning power off of the Terra Nova's power grid, and there was only one group of people he knew would need to do it. He tightened his grip on the sonic weapon, listening alertly for any trace of movement. He had no idea who exactly had broken in, or how they had managed to slip around the city's defenses, but they could not have gotten far, not if they were waiting to retrieve the cells.

Before Mark had the chance to reach for his radio to report the incident, he sensed movement behind him; he instinctively dove to the side. His body impacted hard with the cement ground rolling way, his ears ringing s the shot that would have ended him cut through the air and hit the side of the tower. His own gun was thrown from his hand due to the momentum of his roll, and he finally landed on his knees in a couched position.

Live rounds, the bastard was using _live _rounds.

A grunt escaped him as he surged back onto his feet, not willing to leave himself in a vulnerable position for long. He glanced to the side, his own weapon much too far away for him to reach, and he finally caught sight of his attacker. He recognized the man, his earlier suspicions confirmed.

It was Carter, one of the traitors who had come through on the Sixth Pilgrimage. He and every other Sixer had fled the colony once it became apparent that they had an agenda of their own regarding Terra Nova. He was obviously here to resupply their power, and apparently he was willing to kill to get it.

Mark had no time to think as the other holstered his weapon, though Mark was not deluding himself into thinking that it constituted as surrender. Carter had a limited supply of ammunition, and while he could simply pick up Mark's own weapon, the man was clearly aware that should he use a sonic weapon at such close range he would be struck with the energy discharge himself.

Instead of retrieving the weapon on the ground, Carter kicked it to the side and slowly pulled out a long knife that looked as if it had been carved out of the razor tail of a slasher. Mark watched the other man warily, bracing himself for the impending attack.

Carter moved swiftly and without warning. He slashed the sharp blade with quick precision at Mark once, then twice, missing him both times as the younger man dodged by utilizing his better agility. Carter was all brute force, throwing his weight into every swing, and while dangerous, it made him slow.

If there was one thing Mark had excelled at in his training regimen, it had been close quarter combat. He was quick on his feet, and while he might have been physically smaller than his opponent, he used it to his advantage. He dodged each strike, letting Carter wear himself out little by little as he observed and calculated; then he struck.

As Carter lunged once more, arm darting forward aimed at his heart, Mark acted without even thinking; he grasped the forearm of his attacker before the man even got close enough to cause any damage. Rotating his own hand while simultaneously increasing pressure, the knife dropped to the ground as the other man yelped in pain.

Twisting unmercifully, Mark maneuvered his body around until the man was facing away from him in order to appease some of the pain. Mark himself was steadily applying more and more pressure, his free hand jabbing forward in a vicious punch to the back of the knee so that Carter fell forward.

Mark dug his own knee into the small of his opponent's back as he forced him into the ground. Not wasting a second, Mark touched the communicator at his shoulder, quickly requesting backup. He could not afford to waste time because he knew the odds could change at any given moment. Even though he had Carter incapacitated for now, there was still a chance he could be overpowered.

The moment the call ended, a shuffle beside him had Mark stiffening. He inwardly cursed his luck because apparently Carter was not alone in his endeavor, the cold metal digging into the side of his temple taunting him with that knowledge.

It was times like this that he hated being right.

"Let him go," a woman said from beside him. He eyed the weapon out of the corner of his eye in a silent war with himself on whether it would be worth it to try and disarm her before she could pull the trigger. It was another standard gun with live rounds; not a sonic weapon. She could shoot him point black. "Stand down, kid," she said. "Or you _will _die."

Furious within himself and with the entire situation, Mark eased his grip, slowly releasing his hold. He was glaring, he knew he was, but how could he have been so negligent? He should have realized that Carter had not come alone and paid better attention to his surroundings.

Mark took a deep breath and interlaced his fingers together behind his head in surrender, rising up slowly and removing his weight rom the other man.

Carter clambered to his feet angrily, wringing out his arm and groaning with lingering pain from the maneuver Mark had used on him. Try as he might, Mark could not suppress the smugness he felt at felling felled the man, smirking as if to say '_take that, you thieving bastard'_.

Of course Carter just had to notice his grin, and retaliated by throwing a hard right fist and then spinning around to deliver a punishing elbow to his kidney that sent him to the ground, gasping and closing his eyes against the pain. That was a cheap shot, and it hurt like hell.

Movement continued on around him for at least a few minutes, and he could not bring himself to move without pain shooting through him.

"I've got the power cells," the woman said, and then added unsympathetically, "You handle him."

Carter released a cold laugh above him a moment later. He could hear the gun chamber a round close to his head, and Mark felt the first real stirrings of fear. He knew with a certainty that Carter was going to pull that trigger; he knew it with every fiber of his being.

Mark was going to die.

That whole rumor about seeing your life flash before your eyes? Yeah, it was total bullshit. He could see nothing beyond the barrel of the gun when he opened his eyes, and he closed them tightly just as quick if only to erase the sight from his vision.

A shot rang out with startling clarity, and it took Mark several seconds to realize that he was still alive and relatively unharmed. Apparently the shot he heard had not been for him.

Mark opened his eyes when he heard the thud beside him, and turning his head, he saw Carter lying on the ground. The crimson blood pouring from the bullet wound in his upper arm was a startling contrast to the gray cement.

"Reynolds," he heard a voice call to him, and Mark blearily blinked up at the familiar face of his superior, Alicia Washington herself. She slapped his face gently a few times in order to get his attention, a concerned frown on her face. "Got here as quick as we could. Are you with me, kiddo?"

"Not," he choked out against the pain, trying to warn her. "Not alone… he's not alone…." The lieutenant nodded to some of her team at his words, and they readied their weapons as they moved to investigate further. He sighed and attempted to sit up, only to grimace as it sent pain rippling through his abdomen. "Damn it," he breathed out.

"No kidding, genius," Alicia said dryly. "Keep still until we can get you to the infirmary. And don't even think about passing out on me, soldier, I expect a full debrief on the way over there."

Mark let his head sink back down.

Sure he had been craving some excitement but…

_This day sucks…_


	2. Sunshine

**Chapter Two  
><strong>_Sunshine_

There was something dreadful about having to be carried into the infirmary, the hygienic scent of disinfectants somehow even more overpowering when one was having difficulty breathing. He had been brought in on a stretcher, gently maneuvered into a bed in a private room and now all he could do was wait for the physician.

Mark was resigned to it even though he knew it was necessary; there would be no arguing his way out of being poked and prodded because Alicia was worried that Carter may have ruptured something during his assault. She was such a mother hen, constantly clucking worriedly over his health and his social life… or lack thereof.

Lieutenant Alicia Washington had taken him under her wing when he first enlisted, and then all but adopted him sometime later when he had somehow managed to beat her in a round of single combat. To this day, Mark still had no idea how, exactly, he had beat her. He had been dead on his feet close to the end, and had he not somehow pulled off a miracle to take her down, he would have most likely fallen over with the slightest push.

The woman was _fierce._

Mark knew better than to piss her off by trying to get out of a medical examination, because she had ways of making even the most unyielding man beg at her feet. He had once witnessed her reduce a man thrice her size to tears before. And yeah, it had been hilarious to watch but… he would like to keep his own masculinity intact, thank you very much.

Therefore Mark set his jaw when the cold fingertips of his doctor pressed into the already darkening bruise on his side ten minutes later. He had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep his silence because it hurt like hell, the examination continuing on while he curled and clenched his own fingers, closing his eyes against the pain.

Minutes passed by in agony because the damn doctor just had to be _so _thorough, didn't he? This day was turning out to be even worse than he had been anticipating.

Mark had expected the migraine just from the anticipated dread of the streets being filled with new settlers that seemed to have the collective intent of disrupting the usually peaceful flow of the city. He had even anticipated the rejection letter for his relocation, and subsequent promotion, because he had the suspicion that Alicia was purposely sabotaging his requests to keep him safe and within her sight just to make sure he stayed out of trouble. That woman was worse than his mother ever was.

Failure to keep his sector secure? That one had not even been a little blimp on his radar.

Mark viewed this whole debacle as just one huge failure on his part. He should have realized that something was amiss sooner. He should have been more aware of his surroundings. He should not have let the irritation about his own situation get in the way of his duty.

Alicia had given him praise since they had at least managed to capture one of the culprits. Every single member of her squad had likewise congratulated him for helping to catch Carter, but Mark could not bring himself to see it that way.

If he could have just done _something_, anything to keep whoever had been with Carter occupied until his backup arrived, then that woman would not have escaped, especially not with those power cells in tow. Or if he would have reacted differently when he had felt that gun pressed against his head; such as reacting _at all_, because he had just frozen when the cold steel had touched his skin.

"Quit thinking, kid, I can practically hear you punishing yourself from over here."

Mark opened his eyes to send the dark haired woman a baleful glare, groaning as a particularly tender portion above his kidneys was poked with enough force to rip the sound from his unwilling mouth. "Shit," he gasped, just about ready to grab the unsuspecting doctor and toss him out of the room.

"All done," the man eventually said, his voice cheerful as if he had not just been torturing Mark only moments before. Mark listened as the evil, evil physician reported that everything seemed to be in order and that they would be giving him something for the pain.

Halleluiah, he was saved. It would have been nice to have been given the injection twenty minutes ago; _before _the examination, but that would have just been too kind and the world seemed against him today.

Mark was just about to lie down and allow the drugs to take effect when the worst that could have happened, happened. This was just one of many things he had failed to anticipate today. He should have known that if the Sixers were involved in some way, that Commander Taylor himself would investigate into it personally.

Instinctively at the sight of his superior, Mark made the boneheaded decision to try and sit up. Agony rippled throughout his abdomen, and what the hell did that doctor inject him with, water? To make matters worse, Alicia slapped him upside the head for moving, her other hand insistently pushing at his shoulder until he was once again pressed into the thin gurney pillow.

"Do you even _have _common sense?" she sniped, crossing her arms and giving him a look.

Commander Taylor only looked on her with a bit of amusement in his eyes. It caused Mark to smirk inwardly to himself because this would not be the first time he had caught the older man follow his self-appointed big sister with affectionate eyes.

Of course the soft look faded only a moment later, because the commander had come here for a specific reason. Not to watch Alicia manhandle him into submission, as entertaining as it probably was to everyone who was _not _named Marcus Reynolds.

Mark held no dislike for the older man, not by a long shot. Due to his friendship with Alicia, he had interacted with him more than most ever did and he could say with complete honesty that Nathaniel Taylor was one of the few people he truly respected on this base. Commander Taylor was a decent man; perhaps a bit severe at times and harsh when he needed to be, but Mark honestly believed that he had the best interest of the colony in mind.

No, the commander himself was not why his stomach churned so uneasily. Commander Taylor essentially had absolute control over his paycheck every week. And if Mark could see the failure in his conduct today, someone as astute as the commander probably would too. That combination right there, that was why he was dreading being in the man's presence right now.

"Your doctor tells me that nothing appears to have ruptured," Taylor said, eyeing the younger man with a hint of sympathy. "But I imagine it hurts like hell, all the same,"

No kidding.

"Nothing I can't handle, sir,"

Alicia scoffed beside him. Her hands settled on her hips at his words, while the commander only nodded, most likely only humoring him for the sake of his pride. As a woman, Alicia had no idea exactly why it was so important for him not to look weak in front of the only read father figure he had.

"You're still restricted to a desk until I say otherwise, soldier," she said sternly.

Restricted to a desk.

Earlier he would have thrown an absolute fit about it, though under the circumstances Mark thought it was acceptable. Especially considering that he had fully been expecting her to bully him into taking a few days leave to recover. She had done that before when he had gotten a virus once; placed him under house arrest when he refused to take a day off. She had confined him to his home with an armed guard at his door, and it was only the flu.

The way he saw it, Alicia was letting him off easy this time.

"I agree," the commander said in response to her previous statement. "You can take the rest of the day off, though. Go home and get some rest."

"Yes, sir,"

"Commander Taylor," a nurse interrupted from the doorway. "There is a call for you on line two,"

Mark watched curiously as the man moved to the phone beside his gurney, shamelessly eavesdropping because… well… the one sided conversation was happening right beside him. It was a bit difficult _not _to overhear what the commander had to say in response to whatever he was hearing on the other end of the device.

"What kind of situation?" Taylor was demanding, the tension in his posture combined with those words making Mark on edge, until silver eyebrows rose in surprise. "You're kidding? … Does he have any identification on him…? And the girl…? No. Just leave them be for now, but I want the parents to report to me once you get back. No, just wait until after the speech. We don't need to make a scene and scare anyone else."

Commander Taylor placed the phone back in its cradle a moment later, shaking his head and rubbing his face. He looked much older than he probably was in that moment, though his lips twisted into a subdued grin of amusement. "Wash, go find out everything you can about the Shannon family before the pilgrimage party arrives. Specifically, anything you can find about Dr. Shannon's husband."

Alicia nodded, moving to leave, though she looked back briefly. "Is everything okay, sir?"

"Time will tell," he said vaguely, preparing to leave just a beat behind her. "And Reynolds…"

Mark frowned, feeling very curious as to what was going on. "Yes, sir?"

"You did good today, son."

"Thank you, sir."

Even if Mark did not completely agree with the sentiment, it was appreciated all the same.

Mark eventually settled into the bed once he was left to his own devices. His fingers itched for the familiar pressure of the strings of his guitar beneath them to relieve his stress, though apparently the doctor wanted to keep him for observation for at least a few more hours.

Apparently they wanted to be sure there would not be any lasting damage to his kidneys that could cause some kind of failure. He figured he would be fine, and he would have just left the building if he thought he could get away with it.

Fussing with the sheet thin pillow in an attempt to get more comfortable, Mark closed his eyes as the painkiller he had been given finally took effect to take the edge off of his pain. He slipped in an out of sleep for a while, not entirely aware but not asleep either.

A nurse had slipped in at some point to close the blinds and dim the lights, casting him in darkness that he was grateful for. His migraine was finally ebbing away now that he was in a dark room, but that was a small comfort. He could not fully relax his mind, the sudden shooting pains in his side if he even moved an inch not allowing him to.

This was not his house. The room may have been dark, but he was well aware that he was not in his own bed, and the soft of machinery as it monitored him and the sound of footsteps out in the hallway only served as a reminder to that fact.

The sporadic periods when he was able to rest lasted only about five or ten minutes each, and by the time Alicia returned he felt even more exhausted than he had before he had even tried to sleep. He groaned miserably when she turned the lights back on, decidedly unsympathetic to his plight.

Mark threw and arm over his head. "Can you sign my damn release papers now?"

"How much do you want to get off this base?"

Of course Alicia just _had _to ask the one question that _would _make him jackknife upward, only to fall back down cursing in pain. He took a moment to catch his breath, ignoring her disapproving frown. She had no right to be disapproving when it was her fault, he decided.

"You're serious?" he asked her eagerly.

"Alicia nodded, rolling her eyes at his enthusiasm. "Calm down, soldier. I just need volunteers for survival training. It is an eight hour day beyond the gate for the most part. For three straight weeks, beginning this coming Monday."

Mark was aware that it was not the permanent position away from the city that he wanted. He also knew he probably wouldn't be receiving any type of compensation for his time either, and chances were the only danger they would actually encounter would be snakes or rambunctious children since the trainings grounds were in herbivore territory and all of the lingering traces of smoke kept the grounds pretty clear of most predators.

Still. Just the thrill of getting out from behind the fence was enough for him.

"What's the catch?" he asked dryly, knowing she was basically keeping him hostage here for his own safety.

"You have to do me a favor."

Mark only raised an eyebrow. "So much for '_I need volunteers,_" he sighed. "What do I have to do?"

"Just escort a family to their new house," she said. "All of the guides are already gone for the day, and I would do it myself, but Nath—Commander Taylor requested that I accompany him on a patrol to the eastern falls."

Mark pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine. I'll do it," he sighed. "Where are they and where is the house?"

"They were given one of the M-7 modules," she told him. "It's the only one fence side that hasn't been painted yet. And it belongs to the Shannon family," She seemed content to just ignore his newfound interest at the name, recalling the phone call he had overheard. "They are waiting right outside the command building, you can't miss them. Two adults… three kids."

_Holy shit… _Mark thought, his eyes widening at the information.

People here were free to do as they pleased, to have as many children and as big a family as they wanted. Although even Mark knew about the population control laws of the future would he had left behind, when he was young and unaware what it was he was actually leaving.

_A family is four. Overpopulation equals extinction. _

It was unheard of for three children to accompany their parents, even if by some miracle the family was allowed to keep more than two of them. Someone would have to be left behind and forgotten, because it was considered an insult to the law if they were to allow an extra child through the portal. He could not imagine a parent leaving their child, their own flesh and blood, behind to fend for itself but it actually happened more often than he would like to believe.

The authorities would simply not have allowed anyone to bring through a child that, by the declaration of all the world leaders, should not exist. It made no difference to those stiff collar people on the other side that Commander Taylor would have no issue with taking a child from a world that obviously didn't want it, and allow the kid the basic right to exist.

Only one logical conclusion came to mind when he realized what had to have happened.

This family must have smuggled the child through the time fracture somehow.

The conversation Mark had overheard made so much more sense now. He honestly could not picture Taylor arresting the parents of this family for breaking that particular law. It was a well-known fact to all of Terra Nova that the commander had a particular soft spot for children. Mark was certain that if Taylor could, he would have let every unwanted child live here freely.

"You're not even listening to me anymore, are you?" Alicia said, her dry voice cutting through his musings. He grinned sheepishly, shaking his head. "Of course you're not."

"What were you saying?"

"Just that you better hurry up before they cook under the sun," she told him, shaking her head. "I better go too. Try not to injure yourself again anytime soon. I still need someone to move my furniture,"

Mark couldn't resist.

"Isn't that what _Nathaniel _is for?" He would probably come to regret his teasing later, but it was so worth it to see her confident stride falter, Alicia losing the ever present coolness she always presented that proved she was in control. Her whole persona crumbled with a blush, and she walked away in a huff as he laughed, calling, "Don't forget to use protection!" at her back.

Alicia glared at him over her shoulder, stomping away. Oh yeah, it would definitely come back to bite him in the ass later, but at least he got some amusement out of it right now.

Mark felt odd as he left the infirmary. His body ached a bit still but at least the sensation was dulled slightly by the medication. His own voice sounded strange to him as he said thanks to the physician who handed him a prescription of more painkillers to take once these wore off, his voice a tone off of how he usually spoke.

Just as he suspected when he first learned what significance today held, new settlers from the Tenth Pilgrimage roamed the streets like rabid wolves. He scowled, trying to avoid contact with any of them, because he had only been a little beat up, but yes, he would like for random strangers to plow into him and nearly make him fall over the moment he finally got released from the hospital.

It would be the highlight of his dismal day being in agony again.

Mark sighed as he finally reached the command building. It was easy to spot the Shannon family, as there were five of them and they really did stand out among the crowd. He could see the two adults talking in hushed tones together, probably discussing whatever words Taylor had spoken to them about their unique familial situation.

Beside the parents was a boy who appeared close to his own eighteen years of age; he was crouching low to the ground to speak with a small child, probably the one who had been smuggled through. The last member of the family had her head turned at an odd angle, a veil of raven black hair similar to her mother and sister's obscuring his sight of her.

Mark took a step closer to the family, preparing to introduce himself briefly and then show them to their new home as quickly as possible. He just wanted to get to his own house and get some much needed rest.

… And then the girl with the raven hair suddenly threw her arms out wide and turned, spinning around in a circle with her face lifting heavenward to soak up the golden rays of sunlight and Mark thought, _Oh… _as he stumbled slightly, freeing where he stood without realizing it to watch her turn in place.

Dark hair spun out around her in graceful, feathery arcs as she laughed in delight, a spectacular smile on her face as she twirled like a ballerina. Her skin was golden and almost glowing in the sun, and her eyes looked brown but he could not quite tell what the exact shade of brown from this distance.

Mark had never really taken notice of a specific girl before. He was a young, hot blooded teenager just like the rest of his peers, and he was definitely driven by his hormones to the point of distraction most days. He had fantasized about the female figure in general before, his mind conjuring up images he wanted to experience.

No one in particular had ever caught his eye before. The girls here tended to be a bit too wild for his tastes, playing up to that whole exotic, serial flirt image every time a new pilgrimage arrived. Some of the games those women liked to play with the 'fresh' arrivals made him seriously consider becoming celibate for the rest of his pathetic existence.

Advances had been made before, and he had respectfully declined their offers.

According to Alicia he was considered to be attractive to the female eye. He would have to take her word for it. He thought he looked average, with his military style short hair and blue eyes. He saw nothing interesting about himself that would make him… _swoon worthy_, and that was Alicia's word of choice, not his.

Mark had no interest in a tryst with a girl who would walk away at the sight of the first new face that passed her by. He likewise despised the thought of a relationship because he knew that these women had no real interest in him. He knew that he might enjoy the physical aspects of such a relationship, however, he also knew more realistically that it would mean nothing to him.

In the end, he would probably hate himself and the girl he was with.

So Mark kept to himself for the most part.

Everyone always used the saying that there was this sudden spark when you first discovered your true love; like there were fireworks bursting apart in your mind and into a beautiful shower of light, and that was when you had this sudden revelation that this was the one person you were meant to be with.

However Mark saw no spark, no burst of fireworks looking at this girl, because she was not a firework at all.

Mark knew now that he disagreed with that whole sentiment completely, because no matter just how beautiful fireworks are when they were ignited and soared high above, lighting the sky with a burst of luminescence… eventually those sparks would have to fizzle out and die, as if they had never been there to begin with. All that was left was empty space; void and eventually forgotten.

In front of him was a girl who completely transcended pyrotechnics.

This girl… she was sunshine.

Something inside of him was drawn to her and he held onto that feeling as he watched her finally come to a stop, looking breathless and perhaps a bit dizzy from all the spinning. She smiled a smile that captured his heart at the sky, as if it were the most amazing thing she had ever seen in her life, her arms dropping to the side.

Mark steadied his breaths and made his approach, inwardly cursing the fact that he probably looked like hell from his earlier scuffle and state of unrest. He had been changed out of his impressive armor and into an olive shirt and camouflage pants, and he had a decided wobble to his stride.

If only he could rewind the day a bit and perhaps switch shifts with someone else just so he could have looked more presentable for this moment. Something in him was suddenly a lot less annoyed with the fact that a new pilgrimage had arrived to take over his town.

Mark wished he could go tell himself to quit being a whiny little brat because there was one new arrival he would not have any qualms with. All of his previous anger and frustration, his failure and his pin seemed to fade away in once instance.

Staring at the mesmerizing young woman, Mark knew that his day just became infinitely better.


	3. Madelyn Shannon

**Chapter Three  
><strong>_Madelyn Shannon_

If Alicia ever knew just how much he appreciated getting wrangled into escorting this family to their new dwelling, Mark would never hear the end of it. Especially not with how much grief he gave her about her hidden affections for the commander lately. She would tease him mercilessly.

Mark held himself a bit stiffly as he led the way through the streets of the city. His side was giving him much misery, pain shooting through him with each step. He tried to hide it because every so often _she _would glance at him. He could see it in his peripheral vision, though her eyes never lingered; always darting away to something she found more interesting than he was.

Somehow he had managed to walk right beside her, though there was quite a bit of distance between them, far too much for his liking in fact. Her brother was on her other side, while the parents and the cute little stow away child walked onward behind him. He tried to keep his gaze resolutely forward, trying not to draw attention to just how much he would rather keep his eyes on _her. _

Brown eyes warm and smooth in the sunlight were darting from place to place with rapidness he had never seen before. It was as if she were trying to soak in every variation of texture, every small deviation of color, and every little detail of whatever caught her eye.

Sadly, Mark may as well have been invisible to her.

It made no real difference that she was glancing at him because she was practically looking _through _him or _around _him rather than _at _him. She was fascinating and yet he could not be spared the time of day, and wasn't that just a huge boost to his ego?

Mark could not resist looking to the side, disheartened once again to notice her gaze was elsewhere; on the ground. She was just watching her feet, smiling as the boots she was wearing made slight crunching noises in the gravel.

Apparently being less interesting than a bunch of rocks, Mark inwardly sighed. He felt a grudging smile form because even though he was being ignored, he found her interest in the world to be kind of endearing. His smile faded and he quickly looked away when he realized her brother was giving him an odd look.

From what he knew, brothers could be pretty protective over their sisters, especially the pretty ones like her. He knew he would probably go after anyone who ever tried to hurt Alicia, even though they weren't actually related. She was still his sister in all the ways that mattered… although she could probably do much more damage to anyone than he ever could.

It was the principle of the matter though. He had to respect brotherly boundaries. And of course, the fact that her father was right behind him, his gaze causing the hairs on the back of Mark's neck to stand on end like never before every time he so much as _thought _about looking at her, was a contributing factor to keeping his eyes to himself.

Brothers might be a scary concept but fathers seemed to be absolutely terrifying.

As Mark walked, he could hear the parents speaking from behind him. He had not been paying much attention, though he did manage to catch the tail end of the conversation as he tried to keep his eyes away from her.

"Agricultural duty?" the woman was saying, her voice soft and melodic, and there was a pleasant hint of a foreign accent that he had heard before from the head of the science division. "You could make that work, right?"

"Beats making license plates," was the reply from the husband.

Mark was curious as to why the man had been asked to work in agriculture, because dependents usually found work themselves and relied on their spouse for financial support.

As a man he could understand wanting to provide for his family, because it would have been a hit to his pride otherwise not being able to care for the woman he loved or any children he might have. Though this was still the first time he had ever heard of Commander Taylor personally asking someone to work. Maybe it was a punishment, for smuggling the little one in?

Eventually Mark saw the house in sight, seeing it ahead in the distance. He had already known that it was unpainted, though he had never even given thought to the fact that the entire exterior was completely unfinished, lacking the plants or anything remotely interesting to look at.

Mark felt a sinking in his stomach at the sight. He had been hoping to present her—_them _with something perhaps a bit more suitable. This was vacant and disappointing and why, _why _couldn't they had been assigned the house directly opposite of that one, with the large green shrubs and the smattering of pretty flowers that she seemed to like so much?

Feeling resigned, Mark gestured as they neared the housing module.

"Your quarters are here, in the newer part of the settlements," he said, hoping that by informing them that their house was completely unlived in would somehow make it more appealing. "There is a PX down that way for supplies… some of these units aren't quite finished yet," He smiled apologetically, stumbling over his words a bit. "I-I don't even think yours has been painted yet."

It was the biggest understatement in history.

Mark came to a stop once they were in front of the building, turning his heel and nodding forward. "Here we are," he said, watching as they all gathered closer and turned to peer at their new home. He placed his hands behind his back, watching as they soaked in the image. He was pleasantly surprised when _she _stopped right beside him, even if her attention was elsewhere.

The mother turned to him, surprise in her voice that he couldn't quite place. "This is ours?"

Mark smiled uncertainly and nodded; there was no disappointment in her tone, no anger that it was unfinished as he had been expecting. It was almost as if she were pleased despite the faults in the house. "If you need anything, just let us know," he told them, turning slightly to gate at _her _one last time before he reluctantly began departing.

About halfway down the street, Mark suddenly froze in place. He groaned and slapped his forehead. He had _forgotten to ask for her name. _He was an idiot. And had probably come off as aloof as well, his voice off due to the pain in his abdomen, and his stiff posture probably made him look as if he wanted to be anywhere else than walking beside them. But he was an idiot!

It was the most _basic _question.

In hindsight he could think of so many casual ways he could have begun too, ways to have come off more suave or _at least _interested. Ever with her brother and her father there, he could have found at least some way to learn what her name was. He could have said anything.

'_Hello, my name is Mark. Will you be mine forever?_' seemed to be at the top of his list, though that one would have been a surefire way to scare her off.

That was the last thing he wanted to do, especially since he was expecting some steep competition. The women of the colony were not the only ones who liked to play games with the newcomers, and he would be damned if he left one of those bastards anywhere near her even if he had to actively stalk her to keep them away from her.

Mark vowed right then and there to somehow show his appreciation to Alicia. She had no idea that she had just given him the opportunity to meet this girl before anyone else could sink their hooks into her, and even though she would probably be pursued my several of his comrades, if he could somehow bypass all of those suitors then perhaps he could stand a chance.

First Mark had to figure out a way to approach her. She seemed to like the world around her. Perhaps he could offer himself up as a tour guide, and show her around a bit.

The compound was large enough that it could take several days before they finished exploring. He could spend every moment trying to keep her attention away from the scoundrels who would use her, protect her from them, and when he had endeared himself to her enough, when he _knew _she was beginning to feel something for him… then he would begin courting her.

It may have been old fashioned but Mark thought that she looked like the kind of girl who would appreciate being treated like that. He could see it already in his mind. Chaperoned dates at her home, taking her hand when they walked together, and perhaps even stealing a kiss or two…

Mark knew he was getting ahead of himself. He had to be reasonable, because even though he was astonished by her mere presence did not mean that he would ever hold a place in her heart the way she already did for him. He could dream though. She could be his one day, and he was patient… he would wait years for her if he needed to.

Hours later, after getting a decent nights rest with the aid of his medications, found Mark sitting in his bed. He had never been much of a morning person, though he had woken quite early today. His feet were sprawled out among the sheets while he rested against some pillows.

Mark had never felt more unscrupulous as he did in this moment, his plexpad in his lap while his fingers moved rapidly over the keys displayed on the glowing screen. He was frustrated and impatient. Every so often he would pause, waiting with a scowl on his face, and moments later he would go right back to what he was doing.

It was pathetic. He truly did feel a bit like a stalker at this point, and if Alicia ever found out that he had spent the last thirty minutes trying to figure out what her password to the main database was, she would probably skin him alive and then leave him hanging outside the gate as a tasty treat for some carnivorous dinosaur to munch on.

Mark felt like an idiot, because he knew that not only could he get court martialed for what he was doing, but it had the potential to ruin everything before he even actually spoke to _her _directly. It would be hours before he could approach her and it was driving him _insane._

After several more tries, he finally grinned in success as the screen flashed, granting him access to the database. He watched as the information filled the datapad, loading in hundreds of unwanted files because he was only searching for one in particular.

Selecting the Tenth Pilgrimage, he clicked on the search bar at the top of the screen. _Shannon_, he typed, watching eagerly as the little hourglass turned. His search brought up one _Shannon, Elisabeth (2), _and he clicked on the name, bringing up her detailed background check and profile. He studied the picture, recognizing her as the mother of the family.

However Mark had no real interest in her at the moment. He was much more interested in her _(2) _dependents, or rather, one in particular, and he quickly opened the correct folder.

Mark found it a bit odd, as he scanned the list of names, that the husband was not included as a dependent at all. He had expected the little girl not to be there, because technically she was not _supposed _to be here, but surely the husband would have been included.

Only two names were listed, and he knew he could rule one of them out immediately.

_Shannon, Joshua_

_Shannon, Madelyn_

Madelyn. Her name was Madelyn.

It was a pretty name, he decided, committing the syllables to memory.

There was an attachment beside the name, and he realized it was a picture. He hesitated briefly before clicking on it. He had achieved what he had set out to do, but he wanted to see her up close and study her features, because he had not had a real chance to do it previously when they had been walking side by side.

Immediately he knew something was wrong, and Mark stared at the image in confusion. He did not recognize her as the girl he had witnessed spinning around so freely yesterday. He studied the photograph with intensity, trying to make any kind of connection to compare the ingrained in his mine with the young woman in this picture.

Lovely golden skin that had seemed to glow beneath the sunlight was dulled and almost gray, her cheeks hollowed and her frame looking quite a bit more fragile than he recalled. He spotted something white peeking out from beneath raven hair, and realized that it was some kind of gauze, to cover a healing wound.

Mark felt like a hand had reached in his chest and squeezed his head, however, when he looked at her eyes. Brown orbs that had responded so enthusiastically to every little thing in sight, so expressive just this afternoon and reflective with happiness and life; in this image were bleak and hopeless.

If the date in the corner was accurate, this picture had only been taken two weeks ago. Eighty-five million years into the future, but still only two weeks. Fourteen days. How could someone change so drastically within the span of fourteen days?

Mark had never had his heart broken before but he was pretty sure that what he was feeling right now came a close second. She had been so vibrant today, and he just could not reconcile that the girl in the photograph and the girl he was so enamored with were one and the same, because that would mean accepting the harsh reality that she had been _hurt._

Madelyn had been hurt.

It worried and angered him all at once.

Mark had only intended to learn her name. He had done all of this _just _to learn her name, and therefore he knew he should just close the files and pretend he had never even seen the image.

Reading her profile had never been among his intensions. He wanted to get to know her slowly and over time, open her heart to the idea of him, and then attempt for more. Doing this would be crossing the unspoken line he had drawn for himself.

Hands almost shaking, Mark closed the image and let his finger hover above her name. He could have all the answers to her every hurt, and who to hunt down and dismember for daring to harm her. He knew logically that her injury could have been an accident, but the bleak photograph combined with the gauze painted a bleak image in his mind. His heart pounded against his ribs, and questions surged through his mind as he stared at the digits.

Did he dare?

_Shannon, Madelyn_

All at once Mark knew the answer, and he shoved the device away from him in revulsion. He shook his head in disbelief of what he had almost done. He had nearly ruined everything, nearly breached her trust before he'd even had the chance to earn it.

Mark groaned and purposely hit the back of his head against the wall behind him, once, then twice, and once more for good measure before lifting a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. He had nearly read her profile, which contained everything from the mandatory psyche evaluations to her private medical files.

What kind of a man did that make him?

Fearful to know the answer to his internal question, Mark quickly grabbed the plexpad and logged out of the system, closing all of the screens and even taking it a step further and turned the device off entirely. He had a sick feeling in his stomach, one that made him feel inadequate and dirty.

How would he ever be able to approach her now, knowing what he had almost done? The fact that he had stopped himself before actually committing the blatant invasion of her privacy made no difference in his mind. He had seriously considered it, and that was just as bad as actually doing it.

Mark rubbed a hand down his face warily, and glanced at the clock. He released a sudden curse, realizing he had less than fifteen minutes to get ready for work. It usually took him less time than that, but he needed a shower and to eat something before he left. He was not looking forward to working at a desk for the next eight hours but it was better than being stuck here tormenting himself.

Since the building he would ultimately be stuck in all day had a strict, no gun policy—since sonic weapons could essentially fry every computer station within range—Mark had completely forgone any armor and his side arm after showering, instead opting to dress casually. He felt a bit uneasy being so unarmed, and decided to slide a knife into his boot before he left.

Mark spotted _her_ after walking almost six minutes down the road, accompanying her family. He could not help but pause to admire how she appeared in the dress she was wearing, which had an unusual dull red hue to it, though he had to admit it suited her skin tone. He slowly approached, glancing at his watch to ensure he would not be late by taking a moment.

Madelyn was pointing down the road, and he realized that her father probably had to report for agricultural duty as he bade his family farewell, and began walking toward the agriculture department. Likewise the mother left in the direction of the hospital, probably to report for work as well.

A moment later, Madelyn had spotted something ahead of her.

Mark followed her line of sight, frowning as he saw the monument that many of the new comers liked to see. He had seen people write their names into the stone before, scratching it into the side with rocks. He himself had never understood what the fascination was all about, however he decided it might be worth another look as she took off running toward it, a wide smile on her face.

Edging close enough to hear, Mark observed from a distance as her brother questioned what they were looking at. The photograph he had seen was still in the forefront of his mind, and he looked at her from his place among the trees, trying to see any of the solemnness he had seen in the image.

There was none. It was like she was an entirely different person, and he longed to find out why.

"You've got to be joking," he heard her say, and it was the first time he had heard her voice. He decided it was his new favorite sound. "It's the _probe,_" Her tone became a bit higher, her incredulity at her brother's lack of knowledge showing. "You know… the one they sent through when they first discovered the time fracture?" She moved closer, looking up at the spherical device slated atop the carved stone. "How can you not know that?"

The young man, Joshua if he remembered right from the database, placed his hands in his pockets and gave a shrug. "I was having a life Maddy."

_Maddy… _

Mark decided that the diminutive form of her name suited her even more. He was not permitted to use it himself yet, he would have to wait until he finally talked to her and she allowed him that honor. He watched with a smile as the little girl placed her hands on the stone, fingering one of the names inscribed there with curiosity.

"No one knew at first how back the time fracture went, or even where it led to," Madelyn explained, circling the monument. "They sent this back with a beacon inside so that, you know, they could find it how many millions of years later," Her brother was rolling his eyes at this point, but Mark could not look away. She was looking very pleased with herself. "Only they never did."

"… Huh?"

"It's how they knew they were dealing with a new time stream," she concluded, and her brother shook his head with a smile at her.

"Whatever, Maddy…"

"_Whatever?_" she repeated approaching him steadily. "Okay Josh, you do realize that if we were in the same _time stream, _then something like… I don't know, just stepping on a _butterfly _could change everything?" The young man merely stared at her in bemusement. "Like, for example, us never being born?"

Mark had never really thought of any of it before. He cared very little about how he had gotten here, or what had been involved with the discovery of the time fracture. This was really the only home he had ever really known, and truthfully he knew very little about the science behind it all. She knew though. She seemed to know quite a bit about it, actually. He realized two things in that instance…

Madelyn Shannon was very, _very _smart… and she was _entirely _out of his league.

"Can I scratch my name like everybody else has?"

Mark felt his eyes once again drawn to the younger girl, the littlest, where she was leaning against the stone, looking hopefully up at her siblings. He felt himself smile at her. She was extremely cute, and he could picture her as a very miniature version of the young woman he wanted to get to know. He imagined that she had looked a lot like her at that age.

Although he would have loved to stay and listen to her more, Mark really was beginning to feel like a creep just watching them. He stumbled away, flushing with embarrassment. He needed to get to work after all, and he just hoped none of his peers had witnessed him staring at her like the wonderstruck fool he was. He was still feeling guilty for nearly invading her privacy earlier but after watching her he steeled his resolve.

Mark would approach her during his lunch break.

The orientation group, if he recalled right, usually walked near the elementary school around the same time as his break. He could casually run into her, and introduce himself then. He had a few hours until then, and that would give him plenty of time to come up with something to say. He could even say something that would make him appear smarter, maybe closer to her level.

Therefore while stuck at his station in the security building, monitoring the surveillance feeds, Mark leaned back in his chair and peeked around to make sure no one was watching him and was otherwise occupied. He quickly opened another window on his screen, and began researching a topic he felt might make him seem a bit more educated than just the standard passing grade he had always accomplished.

Numbers he understood, and he was fairly decent with computers. The problem was that he just had very little knowledge about anything other than weaponry and combat, and he doubted those were things that would hold her interest.

The hours seemed to drag on, and by the time his lunch break finally rolled around, Mark felt foolish as he hurried toward the elementary school. He knew more now about the dietary habits of the brachiosaurus than he ever did during survival training, or ever even wanted to know really.

Mark felt confident he could casually bring up dinosaurs, considering that dinosaurs were literally _everywhere. _Hopefully he could dazzle her with his newfound knowledge somehow… make himself seem a bit more interesting than he knew he was; a bit smarter and more on par with her.

It took very little searching once he reached just outside of the school buildings. Mark spotted her up ahead, her hand clasped in the smaller one of her younger sister's as they walked slowly and he steadied his hurried breaths, preparing to make his approach. He was pleased to see that her brother was nowhere in sight, because it meant that he could admire her without his intentions being under scrutiny.

"Reynolds," someone called, and Mark cursed silently, turning to see Private Dunham, someone he worked with on occasion. He really didn't need to be bothered right now; he was still trying to keep all of the information he had been reading up on fresh in his mind. "Heard about what happened at the power plant. Rough. Good job with Carter though,"

Mark forced himself to be polite, taking the offered hand and shaking it quickly. "Thanks," he replied shortly, patting the man on the shoulder. He glanced to the side, noticing that she was getting away even with her slow pace.

Damn it.

"See you later man," he said hastily, much to the other man's confusion, and strode forward purposefully to catch up to her.

"I want to see the dinosaurs again,"

The word _dinosaurs _definitely caught his attention, and Mark heard the halleluiah chorus begin in his mind, because the little miniature version of his affections had just given him the perfect opening he needed. He also knew that some women responded well to men who appealed to their younger siblings, so he knew exactly what he needed to say.

"You do, huh?" he questioned closing the distance between them, watching as _she _whipped around, startled by his sudden presence. His breath caught for a brief moment, finally face to face with her. He admired the way her hair parted at the crown of her head and tumbled into loose curls down to her shoulders.

_Beautiful…_

What was he saying again? Oh right. Dinosaurs.

"It's probably not a good idea though," Mark smiled as he crouched down, trying to ignore the fact that _she was right there_, and instead tried to focus his attention onto the little girl. "Cause," he continued, addressing the child directly. He could see _her _smiling at him through his peripheral vision and inwardly rejoiced his decision to appeal to her sister first. "If they get too full, then they get _really _sleepy, and dinosaurs are really noisy when they snore,"

The little girl smiled sweetly at him, and Mark was just about to start going into all of the scientific facts that he had crammed into his head earlier since the child seemed to like him well enough. He felt himself freeze in horror, however, when _she _began stealing his thunder without even realizing it.

"Well, actually," Madelyn began, and he rose up while his smile froze in place. "Brachiosaur aren't actually true herbivores, they—they sometimes supplement their diet with smaller reptiles." He nodded numbly, feeling disoriented and entranced, watching as she made some of the cutest faces while she was explaining. "Which is why they had proto-lateral incisors. Two sets: upper and lower…"

Madelyn finished her explanation and her voice was a bit breathless. Mark had absolutely no idea what to say now, because damn it all to hell, he had spent hours reading up on it and she had put it all so much more eloquently into one sentence than he ever could quoting all of the archive files he had read.

Shit. What was he supposed to say to her now?

Mark saw the younger girl give her sister a strange look, and then she met his eye with a shrug. He responded with a helpless smile, nodding his head. "Okay," he annunciated slowly, feeling lost and a bit rejected. He could not think of a reply. He should have researched more, just so he could counter her with something equally enthralling, though all of his earlier reading had flown right out the window the moment she had said the word 'herbivores'.

How was he supposed to impress her now?

"I… I'll see you guys later,"

Attempting to keep his smile in place, perhaps a bit too widely to be normal due to his foiled attempt, Mark moved forward with one final look at the back of her head. He glanced around to ensure no one had seen him fail spectacularly to even speak five minutes with the dark haired beauty, yet another failure to add to the ever growing list.

No wonder he had never had a girlfriend.

At least her sister had seemed to like him. It had to be a decent start.

Mark was only a few steps away when he heard Madelyn speak, and he nearly tripped over his own feet as he heard what she said. There was so much humiliation in her voice, though it seemed to be aimed at herself. He honestly had no idea where her embarrassment stemmed from because she had been perfect while he had just stood there like an idiot.

"Kill me now,"

Glancing over his shoulder, Mark saw her share a despairing look with her sister.

_Huh… _he thought, hurrying away. _Maybe that wasn't as bad as I thought…_

Mark froze about ten seconds later, groaning to himself…

… He had forgotten to introduce himself _again._


	4. Conviction

**Chapter Four  
><strong>_Conviction_

Mark was grateful when his shift at the security center was over and done with. His eyes were hurting from staring at the monitors all day long and his back were stiff from sitting in the chair. He had been able to take short breaks in between the long hours, but he was never one to sit still for long and it annoyed him that he had to be confined to a desk for so long.

Eager to leave the oppressive task behind for the day, Mark packed up and prepared to head home, only to freeze as he heard the alarms sound. He dove for the station, his fingers flying across the keys before he could even register his own actions. He released a curse when he pulled up the live video feed of the two armored rovers inbound for the main gate, which were quickly joined by a third a few moments later. The first two of them were definitely Sixers.

For a moment, Mark could only watch with rapt attention as the traitors drove the vehicles quickly, and he wondered why they were approaching so fast. He swore to himself when he saw what they were firing at in the distance. These fugitives were not merely attempting to breach the barrier… they were fleeing from a very angry, very hungry carnivorous creature.

Mark watched tensely as the security footage picked up Commander Taylor himself suddenly eject from the rover he had apparently been in. The man immediately began waving a gun in the air, attempting to get the enormous creature's attention as a diversion while the rover he had been in circled wide and other two vehicles drove on through the open gate and into the safety of the colony.

The traitors were inside the settlement.

A sudden sense of unease filled the pit of his stomach and he found himself scanning through each individual video feed carefully, a fear he could barely understand driving his search. His eyes froze when he pulled up the full view of the main gate, dust and exhaust from the two rovers obscuring the scene, but he saw through it clearly.

Mark was shaking his head in absolute dread as he saw Madelyn. She was spinning around wildly, looking lost and confused as the people around her panicked, her hand tightly grasping her little sister's. They were far too close to the gate; to the absolute mess this would eventually turn into… they had no idea what kind of danger they were in.

Before he could even think about what he was doing or the repercussions of running while still injured, Mark was flying out of the building. His feet pounded against the gravel, sending rocks flying behind him, and he took no heed to the fact that he was essentially unarmed as he ran. He only knew that he could not leave her unprotected while there was a threat so close to her.

Gunshots rang through the air as he rounded a corner, and ahead Mark could see the man eating dinosaur pause at the sound, just outside the gate.

It was a Carnotaurus, an adult one that towered high above, releasing small trills at the echoing sounds of bullets cutting through the air. The beast turned its enormous head, looking back at what had to have been the commander firing his gun, and then it changed course, turning away from the gate and preparing to charge ahead to where Taylor was.

Mark could care less about the dinosaur itself because a few rounds from a sonic cannon would send it cowering into the jungle; angry but bettered from its failed attempt. He doubted the commander would end up injured, because the man knew exactly how to deal with these dinosaurs.

No, his only concern was finding Madelyn and her sister, and panic surged through him when he found that they were no longer where he had seen them on the security footage.

Mark was out of breath as he reached the heart of the confusion, spinning wildly in place as his eyes peered through the dust and the smoke. People had taken cover behind anything they could find, knocking over several stands of fruits and other merchandise, and he released a jagged breath when he finally saw her.

Madelyn was crouched beside her sister and her mother, watching fearfully as the soldiers inside the outpost towers atop the perimeter fence began firing the sonic weapons upon the ravenous dinosaur. He weaved in and out of the frightened crowd of civilians, quickly closing the distance.

Plumes of dust rose high just outside the gates as the blast struck the ground in front of the creature, the gates closing once Taylor and the last rover drove inside, and with a disgruntled roar the beast turned tail and began to march away.

Once the threat of the dinosaur was dealt with, the real standoff began.

Mark saw both Alicia and Taylor turn abruptly, just before the Sixers emerged from their caravans.

Guns were charged and cocked, poised to fire in a moment's notice, and through the smoke the leader of the traitors came walking out. She looked calm, her face set in a permanent and severe scowl as she held her own weapon low. Taylor too stepped forward at the opposite side, his own weapon pointed to the ground as the two leaders observed each other.

Mark carefully slid into place beside Madelyn without her even realizing it, stealthily placing himself at her unprotected side. He had one hand wrapped around the knife concealed in his boot, ready to pull it out and use it should he have to.

It was far less effective than a firearm. He was sorely wishing he had his own sonic pistol, or even his rifle, though he had accurate aim. He knew he could fell a man with one good throw, and he still had his combat training should that fail. He would do whatever it took to keep this girl and her family safe.

No one would touch them; he would rip anyone who tried apart. His own conviction in that was a bit frightening, though he could not deny it was the truth.

"Hello Taylor," the dark skinned woman said coolly.

Commander Taylor was obviously not amused by her unwelcome appearance. "What are you doing here, Mira?" he demanded.

Mira looked around at all the weapons aimed at her and her band of fugitives, pursing her lips together. "This is no way to treat company," she said, though behind her, her own people were just as armed and ready for a bloodbath.

Taylor stared at her steadily. "Have your men lower their weapons."

"You first," she countered.

"You're outnumbered," the man reminded her.

Mira smirked at him. "Then what are you so afraid of?"

Mark gritted his teeth as he heard her question. She knew exactly what Commander Taylor had to consider if he were to open fire on her. There were still civilians everywhere; the market had been full of people who had taken cover at the sound of the alarm.

One stray bullet would be all it took to kill someone unarmed and innocent, and even then there were still the soldiers themselves. Just because they had willingly signed their lives into service, just because they were _willing _to die to protect the colony, did not mean they were expendable.

For Mira to even suggest it had his blood boiling.

Instead of answering her taunt, the commander just frowned at her. "You came here for a reason."

"… You've got one of my people."

"Carter got shot," Taylor said bluntly, and the way he said it certainly sounded final. Mark knew for a fact that the asshole had only been shot in the arm, considering he had been there when it happened, but to anyone else it probably sounded as if the bullet had ended his life. "While he was trying to syphon power off our grid,"

"We know he's alive," Mira interjected impatiently. "And in your brig."

"You know this _how_?" the commander demanded.

Mark himself initially thought of the woman who had been accompanying Carter, before recalling that she had been long gone before Alicia and her team had arrived yesterday. _Someone else must have told her_… he realized. _A spy._ His suspicions were confirmed when she spoke next.

"Maybe we still have some friends here in Terra Nova."

"Well, maybe I'll have a sit down with Carter," Taylor said evenly. "Have a little chat about your _friends…_"

"We want Carter, you son of a bitch!"

Mark had no idea who the man was who shouted first, but everyone began yelling at his words. Demands for weapons to be lowered echoed throughout the courtyard, and weapons were gripped tightly through the tension, ready to be fired at a moment's notice.

It all seemed trivial because Madelyn was trembling beside him, her small form shaking as she breathed in ragged breaths. Her hand was clasped beneath her mother's, and the small child was safe between the two women. He wished he could reassure her somehow, glancing at her in concern, wanting to comfort her and shield her from all the fear and confusion.

"Enough!" Mira hollered over the shouting, holding one hand out to stay her men.

Immediately at her command, Taylor did the same, lifting his arms high and then lowering them as he gave his orders. "_Stand down._"

Silently everyone assessed the situation. It took a few moments for everyone to finally comply with their orders, reluctantly obeying, though none looked happy about it.

Mira nodded back at some of her men, who moved to the back of one of their rovers, picking up a large metal lox box. They carried it just in front of Commander Taylor. "A trade," she proposed, and the box was unlocked to reveal the unrefined gray stones filling it.

"What's that…?" Madelyn whispered to herself, peering closely at the rock.

Mark tilted his head toward her, frowning ahead at the proceedings. "Meteoric iron," he informed her with more calmness than he felt, glancing at her. "They control the quarry."

"I want Carder, medical supplies," Mira was saying. "And ammo."

Mark inwardly snorted at her demands.

As if Taylor would give that crazy bitch more weapons.

Commander Taylor nodded shortly. "You can have your man… you can have the meds. No ammo." He shook his head. "No way."

"You can't blame a girl for trying," she replied evenly.

"Guzman," Taylor said, looking at his head of security before he began walking away. "Get Carter out of the brig. Have medical put together some supplies."

Lieutenant Guzman glared as he passed by Mira, though her attention was elsewhere. Mark followed her line of sight and suddenly bit back a curse, because standing out there right beside Alicia was Madelyn's father. He had a gun firmly in hand, not as a threat but as a precaution.

Mark had not even noticed him there before.

"You're new," Mira commented, and Mr. Shannon simply stared at her. "Welcome to paradise."

Mark decided it was time to back off as he saw Mr. Shannon spot his family beside him. The man began to make his way over, his hand still tight around the gun and his stride clearly agitated.

It was calm now, and Mark knew that the Sixers would never dare to fire or attack without Mira's consent. Now that she was getting what she wanted, Mira had no reason to cause anymore turmoil.

Reluctant as he was to leave Madelyn's side after that ordeal, Mark knew that her father would protect her. Probably even better than he could, considering his lack of a proper weapon. He idly wondered where Mr. Shannon had received the gun, because weapons were not issued to people who were supposed to be on agricultural duty.

People were beginning to stand from their cowering; slowly leaving the overturned stands and carts as they realized the worst was over for now. Mark began to withdraw, intent on going home to relieve himself of the growing knot in his stomach. Running had been a very, very bad idea because now all the pain he had been suppressing through the adrenalin was becoming a very steady, painful throb in his side.

"Reynolds."

_Uh oh… _Mark froze, his eyes widening at the sharp tone. _Alicia. _

Closing his eyes in a grimace, he turned with his shoulders tense and his face carefully blank as she approached him. "Yes, sir?" Mark said, meeting her eyes. He could already see where this conversation was going, the fire practically spewing from her eyes at him.

"Come with me." she ordered coldly, grabbing his arm.

Alicia practically dragged him into the command building, going straight into her own office. She slammed the door behind them and turned with her arms crossed over her chest. He felt like shrinking in on himself as she stared him down. He was in deep shit now, and he knew exactly why.

"You want to explain to me how exactly I managed to log into the server at four o'clock this morning while I was sleeping," she said quietly, her tone deadly even. "From _your _datapad…"

Mark winced. Her nostrils were flaring in her anger, her lips pursed. "It's so stupid," he said miserably, hands lifting to grip his hair as he shook his head. "I was an idiot…"

"Reynolds," she snapped. "You have sixty seconds to explain otherwise I am reporting you."

"… Madelyn Shannon."

Alicia stared at him uncomprehendingly, still angry to the point of shaking.

Mark swallowed and lowered his eyes submissively. "Yesterday, you had me escort the Shannon family to their house," he said, wearily rubbing at his face, still unable to meet her eyes. "The oldest daughter… I …" He flushed even just thinking about saying this.

It had seemed like a god idea to search the database, though to be fair he was hype on pain medication. He had already realized just how ridiculous it had been once he had almost read Madelyn's files, and it sounded even more ludicrous now that he was not obsessing as much.

"… She… never told me her name."

Mark had no idea what he could possibly say to alleviate the situation, though admitting it seemed like a decent start. He felt humiliated at his admittance, daring to peek at Alicia when she was silent for a long time, probably trying to process his confession. She held herself stiffly and he thought for sure he was about to be severely reprimanded or possibly court martialed for what he had done.

Instead Alicia sighed, her stance softening and her eyes rolling. "You are an idiot," she said, and he was immensely relieved to hear the same sisterly affection that was usually present in her voice, and the coil in his gut loosened slightly. "You hacked my password to find out a _girl's name_?"

Mark flushed at her amusement. "Yes," he replied sulkily.

"… I was beginning to think you were gay," she mentioned, and Mark felt his eyes widen.

"Alicia!"

"You've turned down every girl who has ever shown interest in you," she defended her deduction with a grin, even as he began to sputter incoherently. "I have never even seen you so much as look at a girl before. What else was I supposed to think?"

"Please just stop," he groaned, closing his eyes in embarrassment.

"Seriously though," Alicia spoke up after letting him stew in his mortification for a while. She waited until he reluctantly met her eyes before continuing. "If you _ever _invade that girl's privacy again, I will have you discharged from service. You had no right to access any of those profiles, and that sure the hell is not the way to get to know a girl you like."

Guilt ate at him, even as he assured her, "I only read her name… and saw the attachment. I turned everything off after that. I couldn't bring myself to watch or read anything, I swear… she… I just couldn't do that."

"If you had, I would have made sure you never got near her," Alicia told him with certainty, and he felt a chill go down his spine. "Those evaluations and reports were between her and the psychiatrist assigned to her, and only a handful of people have access to her documentations. If you had intentionally breached her privacy like that, then I would have ensured that you never set eyes on her again."

Mark could only stare at his feet, finding it difficult to breathe. "Is… is that what you are going to do?" he asked haltingly. Just the thought of never seeing Madelyn again made his heart ache. He had barely known her for two days, and already the thought of life without her now was almost unbearable.

"… No," Alicia said after a small pause that seemed to last for hours in his mind. He exhaled slowly, relived, and listened silently. "Were you're your actions stupid and dishonorable? Damn straight. Do I think you regret it and learned your lesson?" He bit his lip, sighing when she nodded slowly. "I do. Am I going to punish you horrifically for your stupidity? You bet your ass I am."

Mark grimaced though he knew he deserved it.

"First, you are going to the infirmary," Alicia informed him with a cold smile. "You need to have that bruise looked at one last time. I already called ahead and made sure they knew to expect you."

Mark groaned at her words, because that was just too cruel. He and doctors did not mix well, as proven true by yesterday's medical examination. Five more minutes with that asshole and Mark would have beaten the man silly for poking at him so much.

"Better get to it. I'll let you know the rest of your punishment later."

And that was how Mark found himself walking toward the hospital in absolute about ten minutes later, after sulking for at least half of that time. He signed in at the front desk with resignation and took a seat in the lobby of the medical center.

Doctors and nurses were moving all around him, and he realized that they must have still been gathering supplies and preparing to deliver it to the traitors outside. Mark thought it was kind of stupid that Mira would force a trade for the medical supplies when he knew that Commander Taylor would have probably just given it to her had she asked nicely.

Mira might have been an evil, conniving bitch, and most of the people in her group were just as bad, but she did have children in her group. Their parents might have been scum but the children were innocent, and the commander did have a soft spot for children.

"Marcus Reynolds," a nurse called, and he looked up with a scowl. "Exam seven,"

With great reluctance, Mark stood from the waiting area and made his way down the hallway. He paused briefly when the private rooms came into sight, though continued on a beat later. If he had the same doctor from yesterday, Mark was going to break his wrist if he thought those cold, poking hands would get anywhere near him.

The first person he saw, however, was not a doctor at all.

Commander Taylor stood just ahead of him, facing the opposite direction. He realized it with a bit of shock, having not expected to see the man quite so soon. Taylor was speaking to someone, saying, "—gets home you."

Mark could not make any sense of the tail end of the conversation as he approached from behind. He hoped nothing serious had happened, but here in this place who knew? He moved to the side a bit when he saw the commander begin to turn to leave, meeting his eyes steadily when the older man noticed his presence there.

"Reynolds," the man greeted with a nod of acknowledgement before he walked away.

It was then Mark realized just who his doctor was today. "Mrs. Shannon," he said with wide eyes, and he felt the first stirrings of panic. His doctor was _her _mother, and as far as he was concerned, this was _not_, how he wanted to introduce himself to this woman.

Mark already felt extremely flustered just standing here. How could he ever face her again if she examined him? It would just be so awkward and he wanted to turn heel and flee, but to was too late. His exclamation had caught her attention, and she had spotted him. He had very little choice as she graced him with a smile.

Alicia was probably waiting just outside the door to the infirmary. She had probably somehow set this up to punish him, and if he walked out of there without a clean bill of health from the physician he was assigned to, he would be wishing for death compared to whatever she might have in store for him.

Mark squared his shoulders and smiled back hesitantly.

"Hello there," the woman said, her soft and pleasant accent having a strange calming effect as she spoke, and he found himself relaxing against his will. "You are my next patient I assume? … Good," she said when he nodded, and then proceeded to lead him to the bed while she over looked his file on her plexpad. "Hmm… they gave you something for the pain yesterday, right? Have you been taking it?"

"Yes, ma'am," he replied, sitting down upon the gurney.

Mrs. Shannon made another humming sound, frowning as she read. He realized that his entire medical file was bared for her scrutiny, and it made him a little apprehensive to wonder just how much of it she was reading. She finally looked up at him, a sympathetic smile on her face.

"It seems as if you had quite the day yesterday, Mr. Reynolds," she said as she placed the device aside and pulled on a pair of inspection gloves. "How do you feel? Is there any lingering soreness, or perhaps any shooting sensations?"

"Just some soreness, ma'am," He decided not to mention the running because that would make him look a lot more like the idiot he was. He would rather her not know of his level of stupidity just yet.

"That is to be expected with bruising that bad," she nodded apologetically. "Could you lay back and lift your shirt, please?"

Mark could literally feel the blood rising to his cheeks at her request. There was just something entirely wrong about having his crush's mother see him in such a state of undress, though he had to remind himself that she was objective as a doctor. Surely she was professional enough not to talk to her daughter about her patients… right? He sighed and did as she asked, flinching in anticipation as he hands neared the bruise above his kidneys.

"Does it hurt?" she asked in concern, her hands hovering just above his skin, having not even touched him yet. "You need to be honest, because if it still hurts badly then there may be something seriously wrong."

Mark smiled reassuringly. "No, nothing like that. The doctor yesterday was just… not very gentle."

Comprehension and a bit of what he perceived to be anger flashed over her features. "Tell me if I'm hurting you and I _will _stop," she promised, tenderly pressing her fingers against him. He sighed in relief when it was nothing more than a gentle pressure. Mark already liked her a hundred times more than any other doctor he'd ever dealt with, despite how awkward he felt.

"… Did you and your family get settled in?" he asked quietly, hoping to fill the silence as she carefully examined his injury.

"Excuse me?" Mrs. Shannon paused, her brow furrowed in confusion, though it cleared a moment later and she smiled at him. "Oh, that is where I recognize you… you are the young man who showed us to our home last night, yes?" Her smile grew when he nodded, though turned concerned a second later. "At least now I know why you were so tense,"

Mark inwardly winced. "You noticed that?"

"Actually, my daughter did," she told him, and he felt his stomach drop.

"The little one?" he asked hopefully.

"No, my older daughter," she said. "Did that hurt? You flinched,"

Mark wanted to hit his head against something. He had been so sure that _she _had not noticed his strange behavior. He had been counting on the fact that she'd been too concerned with the ground to be bothered to look at him, but apparently he could not be so lucky. He must have looked so stupid to her!

"No… it was nothing," he promised, closing his eyes so he wouldn't have to look at her.

"To answer your question," Mrs. Shannon continued. "Yes, we did get settled in. Thank you,"

"Is everything okay with the house? I know it probably needs a lot of work,"

"It is lovely," she said warmly, and he could not understand exactly why she found an unfinished house to be so nice. "There is quite a bit of space, much more than we expected. Once we add a bit of paint, everything should be just fine."

Mark nodded. "I'm glad to hear that," he said honestly. "Are your children looking forward to school on Monday?"

"Not at all," the woman laughed, finally pulling away from her inspection of his bruise in order to make a note in his file. She smiled at him. "Well, almost. Maddy, my eldest daughter, she is excited. She keeps talking about the curriculum here, and going on about everything there is to learn. Josh is absolutely dreading it, and Zoe… she has never even attended a school before so we're just hoping that she will enjoy being around people her own age for once."

Mark smiled as he took in the information. He was glad that Madelyn was enthusiastic to begin school here, that she was so excited about everything. She probably deserved to be here more than anyone else did. She wanted to learn about everything here… and he could protect her here.

"Everything seems to be healing nicely," Mrs. Shannon told him. "It was a bit inflamed, so I have a feeling that you were moving more than you were supposed to," She gave him a stern look, and he nodded sheepishly. "No more of that, young man. It will be sore for a few more days, though I want you to keep taking that prescription for the rest of the week because it will accelerate the healing process for you. If you need anything, or if you think something may be worse than we thought, just come see me and I'll take care of you, sweetheart,"

Mark flushed, nodding gratefully, and quickly righted his shirt as she began to leave. The endearment was not something he was used to hearing. He wasn't sure if that made him special or if she just identified everyone in a similar manner, but he decided he liked it.

It was almost… motherly.

He hoped she liked him because he planned on staying near her daughter for a very, very long time, if she would have him. And maybe one day, a long time from now if he and Madelyn did begin a relationship, perhaps Mrs. Shannon would not just be motherly to him to be nice, but because he was part of her family.

It would be nice to be part of a family again.

Mark sighed as he made his way home, hand on his side as he moved forward. He would have to approach Madelyn tomorrow since it was nearing dinner time and she was probably now safe within her own home. He had all night to think of how to do it, hopefully this time he could manage more than just staring at her.

Madelyn was excited for school to begin, Mark recalled, abruptly remembering that he was now part of the escort team for the first three weeks of survival training. Suddenly the prospect of going outside the gate seemed so much more dangerous now that he knew she would be out there too. His enthusiasm to leave the settlement for eight hours a day was quickly turning into apprehension.

Mark knew that the chanced were slim that anything bad would actually happen.

Most of the dinosaurs were repulsed by the lingering traces of fire and people in the clearing that was used for training. If anything the most they would see would be the herbivores that roamed he grassy knolls nearby, and as long as the students were respectful to the creatures nothing would happen.

Besides Mark would be there with an actual weapon, along with about twenty others who would constantly be patrolling the area. Madelyn and her sister, and probably her brother too, would all be safe under such security. He would ensure it, and these were skills she _had _to learn.

If she ever got coerced into leaving the settlement without supervision, for whatever reason, Madelyn needed to know how to take care of herself. Because if something happened to her…

Mark knew it would kill him.


	5. Stay

**Chapter Five  
><strong>_Stay_

Music had always fascinated him.

Mark could remember when he was little, watching old and indistinct images on a datapad of old bands playing. Even though the videos themselves were distorted and grainy, the sounds were still clear as a bell and it stirred an interest in him. He taught himself to play years ago, and throughout that time it had always become something of a stress relief to him.

It had been months since he had bothered to really sit down for more than just sporadically allowing his fingers to create something disjointed and completely unplanned for a short time. In the past he had written his own songs, spent hours perfecting the rhythms and on occasion, even the lyrics. His music had always been loud, almost angry, reflecting the inner thoughts and emotions of an angsty teenager.

Mark could not even recall the last time he had sat down like this and attempted to write something. He had slowly lost inspiration for making his own music ever since he enlisted, and honestly considering some of the violent descants his twisted and angry mind had been concocting, it had probably been best.

Even the few he did attempt to write now lay forgotten and unfinished.

And yet somehow today Mark found himself just resting on his couch, his guitar across his lap with the clear sheets of plexipaper scattered around him and a sensor pen held between his teeth. His fingers were aching in a wonderfully freeing way as he tried to piece together chords in a soft cadence that would hopefully, eventually make some sort of sense.

There were n lyrics in his mind at this point, just some soft hinting of a harmony as his thoughts echoed a certain name. He paused every once in a while to write down a particular tune he liked, making notes before his fingers curled around the neck of the instrument while his other hand strummed absently.

Admittedly this tune was nothing like nothing he had _ever _written before.

It was soft and light. It was melodic and perhaps, more enchantingly… it was _her._

That fact alone made Mark all the more determined to finish this song. He would dedicate it to her. He was trying to embody her in a sheet of music. He had never attempted any kind of poetic or romantic sort of lyrics, and honestly the thought of trying to express those kinds of emotions through his music had never occurred to him before now, and he was seriously tempted to download a thesaurus just so he could learn new ways of describing Madelyn in his mind.

For lyrical purposes only, of course, because doing it for his own amusement was just kind of strange, and he was already bordering on creepy with his infatuation.

Mark was feeling accomplished by the time night had fallen, and he began to put everything away for the night. His song was nowhere near completed, not even by the longest shot. He would probably play with it for weeks until he would be satisfied, though right now he could say he was proud of the direction it seemed to be going.

The sudden knock on the door was surprising.

Not for the obvious reason that it had startled Mark out of his sunshine induced stupor and musical hype though. Only a hand full of people even knew where he lived now that he was on his own, and out of all of them… well, very few of them ever bothered to knock, because most were under the impression that it was perfectly acceptable to simply barge into his home without his permission.

Mark would always rue the day he had ever allowed Alicia Washington into his home.

Alicia had a tendency of entering unannounced, and he could not even complain about it because she usually came bearing food. She liked to stock his cabinets and refrigerator with fruits and vegetables on occasion since she knew he would never purchase any of it himself. He would eat the leafy greens and bright fruits purely out of guilt to make sure her money did not go to waste.

Personally he preferred eating the meals that he could buy at the commissary, mainly due to the fact that he was too lazy to cook anything himself. His grocery shopping tended to be anything he could cook in under a minute with a simple reheat button. He probably would have starved long ago had it not been for her; that was something he would never admit to her though.

To find Alicia stand standing at his door was not at all promising, because she simply _never knocked. _He was not ashamed to admit that he might have stood there like an idiot for a few minutes, trying to process the fact that she had not simply broken into his house for a change.

It didn't take him long to discern the fact that something was bothering her.

Mark knew her well enough by now to be able to judge her expressions. She guarded her emotions carefully, always protecting herself from the world at large. He would like to think that he knew her quite well though; probably better than most people knew her, save for one Nathaniel Taylor, who had known her personally for decades.

Alicia was agitated and upset, her hand twitching by her ever present sidearm as if she longed to grab it and draw on anything that moved. He stepped aside without a word, and she marched inside with a scowl, moving straight for the cabinet that was stocked with her favorite alcohol for such occasions.

This sight was nothing knew, and he knew it could only mean one thing.

Commander Nathaniel Taylor was off colony.

Mark leaned against the doorjamb as he watched her pour herself a glass, swallowing it whole with a grimace. "What happened this time?" he asked cautiously.

Alicia snorted angrily, and shook her head. "Those damn kids got out again," she hissed, pouring herself another glassful. "I'm getting really sick of their bullshit." She kicked out the stool at the counter and plopped down gracelessly, her eyes giving him a once over. "How are you doin', soldier?"

"Could be worse," Mark mused, poking himself in the side. "Meds are doing their job at least, and the doctor told me everything was healing just fine,"

Alicia smirked slowly. "Dr. _Shannon, _right?"

"I knew you had something to do with that," he cursed.

"Damn straight I did," she said without a hint of remorse. "Consider it your punishment, kid,"

Mark groaned inwardly at the reminder. "Are you going to put me out of my misery and tell me what the rest is? Or just sit there and taunt me with some unknown, vile punishment that I will ultimately despise?"

"I was going to make you muck out latrines for a few weeks," she mentioned casually, and he winced because latrine duty was just… cruel and unusual. He would rather be eaten by a dinosaur. "But since these brats don't understand that the damn fence is there for their safety, I plan on having them shovel shit for a month once they get back."

Mark did not envy them that, and nodded earnestly in agreement. As long as someone else pissed her off more than he had, he would obviously end up with the lighter punishment. Considering that Taylor had gone to retrieve them personally, Alicia was probably going to let his own indiscretion slide and hopefully forgotten in order to dish out the worst kind to the offenders.

"You've been playing?" she asked a moment later, her boots rising up to rest against the countertop as she leaned back comfortably. She was looking over at the guitar, which was propped up against the wall beside his couch, and the countless sheets of musical notes he had composed. "Been a while,"

"Yeah," he agreed with a sigh. "Not since…"

Alicia nodded without him having to finish. "Michael is rotating back in a few days," she said quietly, her eyebrows rising when his jawline tensed. He had no desire to speak about his brother, and she damn well knew that. "Is that why—"

"No," Mark said shortly. "The only time I would ever pick up a guitar for that idiot would be to bash his stupid, self-loathing head in." He crossed his arms, sighing when she settled him with an apprehensive look in response. "… Madelyn Shannon. I was… she… it's a song… about her."

Mark expected her to develop a teasing grin at his admittance. She certainly owed him quite a bit in return for all his remarks regarding her and the commander, because there was a word for that. Karma, he knew, was when it all came back to bite you in the ass. She had every right to mock him for his wonderstruck attitude, his cyber stalking and the sappy love song writing.

Instead Alicia looked down, her face somewhat grim as she nursed her drink, and Mark found himself frowning. He knew she did not approve of his behavior but he had thought she was pleased that he was finally interested in someone, developing the social life he sorely liked. He got along well enough with most of his comrades, but this was different. He thought she was happy for him.

"… What is it?" he asked uncertainly.

"Those kids that jumped fence," she said softly, and he immediately tensed.

Mark could feel an irrational panic begin to surface in his mind, thoughts going everywhere at once because he had mentioned Madelyn, and now right after Alicia was bringing up the fence. His mind automatically went to the obvious conclusion that some bastard had talked her into venturing out into the jungle, unprotected and now lost in the dark, dense woodlands.

Breathed proved to be a struggled as he moved closer, giving Alicia an imploring look. "Please tell me she is not one of those kids," he said, his voice bordering on pleading. His gut was tight in knots at even the mere thought of her out there alone.

"Not her," she assured him, but he could not bring himself to relax just yet because her tone was still heavy. "It is her brother, Joshua Shannon. Camera caught him leaving with one of the usual suspects." She touched his shoulder sympathetically, adding, "Elisabeth and James Shannon, the parents, both joined the convoy to search for them."

Mark pulled away quickly, in motion before she was even finished speaking. He moved to the couch and quickly shoved his feet into his boots. "Has anyone gone to check on her or her sister?" he demanded, struggling with the laces in his haste. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Because I knew you would overreact," she said wryly. "I sent someone to check on her an hour ago,"

Alicia did not move to stop him as he left, his body instinctively moving down the right pathway before his brain had even consciously registered which path was the correct one. He barely even registered the chill of the night as he walked quickly, having forgotten his jacket in his rush.

Mark barely knew anything about the situation, but there had never been any fatalities during the little escapades in the past so he was hoping that nothing had happened to the stupid, thrill seeking morons this time either. He knew it was probably not the most reassuring news, but surely it was better than nothing. If he could offer even the slightest amount of comfort he would do it.

Comforting someone was not something Mark had ever really had to do before. He would never dare to even try to comfort Alicia about anything unless it was something devastating, because the woman would likely take offence to it unless she was too distraught to react. He had no experience with this sort of thing, but if Madelyn or her sister were half as upset as he was imagining they were, hopefully he could figure out what to say.

It took Mark less than three minutes to reach her house, standing there on the unfinished porch. He took a few moments to catch his breath when he realized just how breathless he was from having seemingly run the entire distance. His heart was pounding something fierce within his chest and he simply stared at the door, unsure how to even begin.

Mark licked his lips and tried to keep his features calm and open as he steeled himself. If he somehow projected is own worry and concern onto her, if his fear of just how this all might be reflecting in him, it would probably just distress her more. The last thing he wanted was to cause her more unnecessary stress.

Deliberately, before he lost his nerve, Mark rapped his knuckles across the door in quick strikes and simply waited, rubbing his hands together slowly in troubled anticipation. He could hear movement inside and forced himself to swallow the concern he felt when it took perhaps a bit longer than it should have for the door to finally swing open.

Madelyn had a look of perplexity, her body was tense and her eyes were a bit wide. Her hand tightened on the door briefly at the sight of him, and Mark was uncertain whether or not she was glad he was here or just frustrated. He decided it was probably the latter since she was waiting for her family to return, not some stranger who was practically stalking her.

"Hi," Mark said quickly, watching her reaction carefully.

Madelyn was silent for just one brief moment. "Hey," she replied belatedly, her surprise coloring her tone. She stared at him unsurely for a second before she spoke again. His tense shoulders began easing at the sound of her voice, sounding perhaps not quite as upset as he had been envisioning she would be. "What are you doing here?"

Mark studied her eyes and he knew immediately that he could not rely on her voice to be truthful in this instance, no matter how light and steady it was. Her eyes betrayed her to him. Those big brown eyes that he was so fascinated with were sad and helpless, just a hint of a shimmer to them that spoke of the unshed tears she was obviously trying desperately to suppress.

"Well…" Mark said quietly, hoping his voice did not waver as his need to hold her made itself known to him. It was an intense feeling that threw him off kilter, and he struggled to keep his face calm and earnest as he spoke his intentions. "With everything that's going on, I just wanted to come see if you were okay."

"Yeah," she replied instantly, shaking her head as if to brush his worry off. "You know, we're okay," She took a few steps backwards, slowly turning as she moved to stand beside her sister. The younger girl was watching, not upset but curious, because she probably had no idea just how much danger her brother or her parents were in just now. "Considering," she added.

Mark glanced at the threshold of the door uncertainly, because he knew that he should probably not just casually enter her home without some kind of verbal invitation, but… she had stepped backwards, leaving the door wide open. Did that count as permission? He inwardly sighed and moved forward anyway, hoping he was not overstepping by entering.

"Uh, we… haven't heard back from the search team yet," Mark relayed to her, and his mouth went dry as he saw the quick flash of despair in her eyes at the news, inwardly cursing himself for being the one to put it there. He averted his own eyes briefly, looking down at her sister as he tried to be encouraging. "But, uh, it shouldn't be long though. I'm sure your brother's going to be okay."

Madelyn nodded slowly, her mouth slightly open as she inhaled almost unperceptively. He felt absolutely devastated as she met his eyes, the glossy shine more prominent. It caused him more pain than he could ever remember experiencing. He swallowed the thickness lodged in his throat at her hidden suffering, and he wished he knew how to help her.

Mark had to look away, because if she stared at him like that he knew he was not going to be able to control the urge to shield her from the world by securing her into his arms. "Uh, if you need anything," he began, already turning to leave, but in his peripheral vision he could see her suddenly move forward, and he could not help watch out of the corner of his eye. "Just—"

"Don't go."

Mark stilled at her pleading voice, her strong persona completely faltering in that one moment. He turned completely, first looking down at the young girl watching the interaction with curious eyes, before he managed to bring his own to look at her once more. She had obviously seen his look to her sister, because she looked at the child herself.

"Uh, Zoe's scared," she told him despondently, her voice earnest though obviously not sincere. She regarded him with a helpless expression, swallowing as she tried to persuade him, looking down to her sister. "Right, Zo?" She reached out with one arm and pulled the girl into her side, her fingers flexing in the soft pink material of the child's shirt.

Madelyn wanted him to stay, she was _asking _him to stay.

Despite the circumstances of her request, the knowledge that she wanted him here with her, to offer her security or consolation with his presence alone, made his heart swell with a profound feeling. He stared deeply into her eyes, utterly lost in them because he had never felt anything like this before. He barely knew her and yet his infatuation had already delved into something with deeper meaning to him.

Mark smiled involuntarily at is thoughts and the revelation that he would do anything for this woman. She was beautiful in so many ways, and he had always thought that beautiful was a term to describe something aesthetically pleasing, but she proved him wrong. Everything about her was absolutely gorgeous; her caring heart, her compassionate soul, her brilliant mind.

Everything.

Never before had Mark met someone so genuine. Even when she was trying to conceal her disquiet from him and even when she tried so valiantly to convince him to stay because of her sister. He would have stayed regardless of the untruth solely for the purpose that she asked him to.

Slowly, Mark maneuvered back inside the dwelling and was rewarded with a breathtaking smile right before he gently closed the door behind him. She seemed immensely relieved and happy with his decision, and even though he had no idea what to do next, he was pleased by her reaction. He tried to look around for inspiration, and his smile widened when the young girl, Zoe, waved shyly.

"No need to be scared," he told her gently, kneeling down to her level. Her eyes slanted up toward Madelyn when he said this, and he suddenly had the feeling that this little girl was more perceptive than he first realized, because she obviously knew that her older sister was the one who was truly scared.

Zoe smiled widely at his words, nodding her head slowly.

"Do… do you want something to drink?" Madelyn asked, releasing her hold on her sister with obvious reluctance to go peer inside the cooler. Mark could see her bite down on her lower lip as she looked at the contents. "Um… all we have is… water."

Mark concealed a grin at her apologetic tone. "No, thank you."

"Do you want to see my room?" a timid voice asked, and Zoe looked up at him hopefully. He nodded and took her offered hand, rising back to full height before she led him through the house. "I've never had one before," the little girl admitted sadly.

Mark held back a wince at her confession. He had never really considered just how being a third child in a household that was only meant for two would affect the small girl. He was not really aware of how houses back in 2149 were built, but he knew that those houses were probably smaller than his own home even though they housed so many people.

Even now, Mark realized that Zoe probably did not have a room of her own. Even the largest housing unit on the base was only meant to hold four people—two parents and two children—at most.

Casting curious eyes around as he was led directly into the heart of the home, Mark sucked in a quiet breath as he observed the interior. He had known the house was unfinished, he had even mentioned the incomplete state yester himself… but… he had not known just _how _unfinished the house was.

Every single wall that was not part of the support structure was left unpainted, leaving the entire interior a very unattractive brown with a few crude splashes of red were the manufacturing labels still remained. The only actual doors were the ones that led to the exterior of the house, each room only hidden behind curtains until the sliders could be installed. He wondered absently if he could somehow convince a construction crew to come fix this house first.

Zoe tugged on his hand slightly, and he smiled down at her albeit a bit less genuine than before due to his discovery. "See," she said happily, and Mark peered into the room obediently.

There was a single, small bed which had been pushed over to the far corner, while a pillow and some extra blanket formed a sleeping roll on the floor. Tucked in the corner was a large bag, which had obviously been emptied of the contents, and around the makeshift bed on the floor were clothes that were obviously not meant for such a little girl, folded up carefully and ready to be placed in the small chest of drawers in the corner.

Mark also spotted a few thin books, one open with slanted, elegant cursive inked into actual sheets of paper.

"This one is mine!"

The young girl suddenly released him and crawled up onto the bed enthusiastically, bouncing on it slightly with a grin. He found it difficult to keep his smile in place, because he knew what the bedroll on the floor was and who it was meant for. He almost felt like he was intruding into her personal space, especially as he realized that those books must have been diaries or journals of hers.

Mark held his breath as another presence idled up beside him.

"We… there was only one bed," Madelyn said quietly, and he frowned internally at the embarrassment in her voice. "We plan to buy another one soon. Someone said something about advanced paychecks, and as soon as we get that then we should have enough money to buy it."

"They will also stipend you for the cost of the housing materials," Mark informed her, elaborating when she glanced at him in confusion. "Since the houses are unfinished, they will pay the cost of the paints and other things that didn't get done in time. Someone will probably be around within the week to install some proper doors for you all too, and to finish the wall in the living area."

Madelyn frowned at him. "… Doors?" she repeated, and he saw her eyes dart to the dividing curtains. "I thought… these aren't the doors?"

Mark shook his head slowly. "No," he told her, and her face turned the loveliest shade of pink for some reason though he would not complain. She looked rather attractive when she blushed. "There is a track inside the wall, and the doors slide back and forth."

"Oh… I thought that was just the way they were." She admitted with a wince. "Our apartment back in Chicago had rooms separated by plastic dividers that were similar to these, so we just all kind of assumed that here instead of plastic it was cloth. Of course, we never really closed the partitions because the house was very... _vertical. _Sometimes we tripped over the ladders if they were closed…"

Madelyn closed her eyes briefly, and he wondered what she was thinking. She seemed almost embarrassed by her explanation, and he could not even come close to fathoming _why_. He liked the way she explained everything; her voice rapid and breathless. She had nothing to be ashamed of.

Mark rather enjoyed listening to her.

Time seemed to pass very slowly, though Mark found himself enjoying just how leisurely each second seemed to tick by because it just meant he could stay here longer. Madelyn seemed to be soaking his presence in a positive way as they sat on the floor with her sister, both patiently listening to her childish chatter as she recounted how she had fed the dinosaurs yesterday.

Zoe was very adorable, he discovered, smile when she told him how one of the brachiosaurs had actually lifted her into the air while she was feeding it. She had been quiet almost every other time he had encountered her, though now, in the privacy of her new home, she seemed to have no problem speaking to him trustingly.

… The fact that Madelyn was watching his interaction with the child might have been his initial motivation, though he was glad to listen if it eased any of the tension in the room. It helped that Zoe was cute, with her gapped toothed smile.

Madelyn was still somewhat stiff as she rested back against one side of the wall, her eyes still moving through the open curtain and out into the hall as if she were simply waiting for her family to return. But she had calmed considerably, no longer having to force her composure.

Soon Zoe could no longer keep her eyes open, and Mark found himself lifting the girl into his arms while Madelyn turned down the bed. She was so small. She fit into his arms, her head resting against his shoulder as he stood with the precious burden carefully waiting.

Mark had never held a child before. He had never really thought about children in general, because the few that he had seen running around the colony were usually loud and a bit obnoxious. Zoe, however, was endearing, and cute, and a lovely miniature model of the young woman currently pulling back the coverlet and he let his mind drift unintentionally.

It was so easy to imagine this scene in an entirely different context. Him, holding a child with big, doe eyes closed peacefully in sleep, short raven hair identical to the woman preparing the bed as she hummed a lullaby unknowingly, all in some undeterminable point in the future.

Mark flushed to himself at the direction of his own thoughts. He really had to learn how to control his thoughts around her because he was going to get himself into trouble at this rate. At least these images were innocent enough, just a wistful fantasy of his overactive imagination, because he could dismiss them before she even realized that his mind had wondered.

Madelyn silently gestured for him to lay the slumbering child down, and he had to carefully unwind her small arms from around his neck as he bent over to do so. He stepped back a moment later, watching as she gently tucked the blankets around the small form, cocooning her within the warmth of the bed.

Once done, they silently retreated from the room, the curtain closed behind them to keep the subtle lighting from the other room from disturbing Zoe as she slept. She stepped back away from the now closed 'door' and he inhaled deeply as the move placed her directly in front of him.

Mark could smell something herbal permeating the air around her, especially from the dark curls falling past her shoulders. She was so close. If he took one small step forward, then they would be sharing breaths and that awareness made his stomach clench with anticipation he could not recognize.

"You're good with her," he said quietly, smiling as he saw her pull her hands together, twisting her fingers into knots. He thought it might have been a nervous habit, right along with how she tended to pull her bottom lip between her teeth and nibble.

Madelyn regarded him with a look he had trouble deciphering. He swallowed his internal disappointment and took a deliberate, though subtle step backwards as he tried to control himself. She seemed cautious around him, despite the fact that all of the tenseness in her small frame had simply dissipated over the course of the past few hours.

Somehow Mark had managed to calm her. She no longer looked frazzled and trying to hide her upset. Instead she was staring up at him with brown eyes that seemed to melt from a warm brown into a molten honey. He had no idea what he had done to help her achieve such serenity.

Giving her some space was worth it when Madelyn lowered her eyes, and he saw a smile blossom over his lips. Mark wished she would not try to hide from him like that, but he was willing to take what she gave him for now.

Perhaps he could coax her into being more open with him in the future. He hoped she would be receptive to him. He was still trying to figure out exactly how to approach her properly, and he kind of wished he had someone around to speak with about women, because this was uncharted territory here.

Mark was very quick to place even more distance between them, his entire body tensing and straightening to attention the moment he heard the first telltale signs of movement outside. He placed his hands behind his back, and he turned just in time to see the door swing open slowly.

Mrs. Shannon was the first to enter, looking exhausted, and her husband followed in with one arm wrapped around their son, Joshua. He inwardly cringed, however, when he saw the commander himself arrive behind them, conscious of how wrong his own presence in this house must have been.

Madelyn was quite pleased with everyone suddenly appearing, at least. She moved quickly, striding toward the young man, her brother who was looking a bit worse for the wear. She drew him into unyielding arms and held him close to her.

Mark bit the inside of his cheek at the unexpected twinge of envy he felt.

It was her _brother. _He should not be jealous that she was holding her _brother _so tightly that the boy winced at the tightness of her embrace, because it was only her _brother._ He averted his eyes from the sight, only to wince to himself when he saw the commander look at him thoughtfully.

"Hello again, sweetheart," a soft, gentle voice greeted and Mark looked up to see Mrs. Shannon smile warmly at him as she recognized him. His smile probably came out as more of a grimace as he returned the sentiment, unable to stop the heat rising in his cheeks at her endearment. "… Marcus Reynolds, right?"

Mark nodded uneasily. "Yes, ma'am,"

"What are you doing here?" she asked curiously.

It was a great question, though one Mark was unable to answer without coming off as a complete fool. He had been off duty and at home, so he shouldn't have even known about their situation, and had Alicia not come to him he would have only probably heard about this whole incident after the fact, tomorrow morning.

Madelyn came to his rescue. "He came to let us know what was happening," she told her parents, and he found himself blushing at the admiration and gratefulness in her voice. He had only really sat on the floor and listened to her sister talk about how pretty everything was and how she loved dinosaurs up until the point where the child had talked herself to sleep after all.

Mark was startled by the hand presented to him, and he shook it carefully as the kindly doctor began expressing her gratitude, and then her husband came and offered he same treatment, though less warmly. He decided to depart as the family was reunited, quietly wishing them all a pleasant night as he took his leave, not wanting to intrude as they all drew close together.

At least his mind was at ease now, knowing that Madelyn would breathe easier knowing her family was safe and together again. She had gifted him with one last departing smile before he slipped out the door, and he smiled to himself as he left.

Mark exhaled a slow breath as he began the leisure walk toward his home, feeling quite accomplished and just _glad _that he had been the one to help her. He still had no idea how he had actually managed to put her so at ease, but at least she was less stressed now. He really hated seeing her so upset.

It had surprisingly _hurt _to see her so distressed earlier.

Footsteps joined beside him a few moments later, and Mark glanced out of the corner of his eye to see Commander Taylor join him. He faltered briefly, though somehow managed to regain his balance and continue his stride, very much aware that this man must have known he was not supposed to know the particulars of the little adventure tonight.

Neither spoke for the longest time, silent in their walk.

It did not escape Mark where their mutual destination was. Alicia was probably still at his house, perhaps a bit intoxicated but nonetheless waiting for the return of Nathaniel Taylor.

Both men knew this for a fact because it happened quite often, one of the unspoken truths between the three of them. Whatever feelings Alicia or Taylor had were undefined by the chain of command, and though Mark would probably always tease until his dying day about how she felt, he knew that this was a line that Alicia would never allow herself to cross unless circumstances changed.

"Sir," Mark spoke hesitantly as a thought occurred to him. He looked to the ground as he tried to figure out a way to broach the subject, his face reddening as he played out how the conversation would go in his mind. Honestly, he could think of no better person to go to with this. "May I ask you… something personal?"

Commander Taylor stiffened slightly, giving him a sidelong glance. He probably thought that Mark wanted to talk about Alicia, but that was not the case. "Alright," he gave his permission with a sharp nod. "Speak your mind, son,"

Mark exhaled slowly, trying to remind himself that even though this would be the most embarrassing conversation of is entire existence; that he honestly had no one else to turn to. He had no friends, not counting a certain brunette that was currently getting drunk in his house, and his family… he couldn't talk to any of them.

Not to mention the man seemed to know what he was doing, and Commander Taylor really was perhaps the only real father figure he had ever had. He respected the man, appreciated the pride the commander seemed to hold for all of his soldiers and their accomplishments.

Therefore Mark really should have no problem asking this question.

… In theory it was as easy as opening his mouth and asking.

"How would you…" he flushed, trailing off because in reality it was a bit different than in his head, and _so _much more awkward.

Commander Taylor just lifted his eyebrow in waiting.

Mark steeled his resolve. "How would you court a woman?"


	6. Sequel Information

**Sequel Information!**

Due to some recent emails and PMs, it has come to my attention that not everyone is aware that _Wonderstruck _has been complete since last October. It was only ever intended to cover the pilot episode in his perspective and I actually rather liked how open ended it was. But due to the several requests I had to continue, a sequel has been in progress and I have actually been posting it for the past few weeks.

I apologize for those of you who were unaware, because posting the sequel information just never occurred to me until now.

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**Wooing Miss Shannon**

Mark Reynolds has just found the one woman in the world that his heart desires. He intends to get to know her slowly, to treat her as she deserves to be treated, and therefore has decided to pursue her as a gentleman would: by courting her like a lady. This is continuation of _Wonderstruck_ throughout the events of _Enchanted_, as experienced by Mark as he attempts to gain the affections of Madelyn Shannon.

**Rating**: PG-13  
><strong>Spoilers<strong>: throughout season one until I run out of steam...  
><strong>Warning<strong>: A bit of foul language, perhaps a bit of violence; nothing too bad though.

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Currently _Wooing Miss Shannon _is seven chapters long with the eighth well on the way; it can be found in my profile or at the Terra Nova LiveJournal Community. Thank you to everyone who read this story! It was really fun to write and the response was more than I ever hoped for, so thank you all. I'm really glad so many of you enjoyed it and hopefully you will enjoy reading the sequel as well! :)


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